1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed generally to creating hard-copy documents from electronic file information.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, job tickets are used to direct an imaging system to produce a designated number of documents in a designated format or style, such as, for example, simplex (single-sided) or duplex (double-sided), and/or with designated image processing procedures applied to the document. Accordingly, a document is created as specified in the job ticket attached to the document.
Setting the various parameters for each job ticket, however, is often a time-consuming task. FIG. 1 shows a conventional job ticket that includes only a subset of the various parameters that may be set to achieve a desired print product.
It is generally known that inputting individual job tickets for printers, copiers or imaging devices provides flexibility in page sequencing, copying and/or presentation as well as print type, format, etc. for each individual job submitted. The individual printing, copying or imaging parameters may be varied or manipulated by changing the parameters on any job ticket. However, the repeated entry of parameters by an operator is subject to error which could render useless an entire output based upon erroneously supplied job ticket parameters. Thus, not only is the creation of individual job tickets time-consuming, it is also subject to wasteful error and inefficiencies.
Moreover, it is becoming increasingly common to integrate on-line finishing devices with imaging systems, such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, multifunction devices and the like. These on-line finishing devices directly receive sheets as they are output from the imaging system and perform various types of finishing operations on each sheet, or set of sheets, output by the imaging device. The finishing operations can be for example, binding, stitching, folding, trimming, aligning, rotating, punching, drilling, slitting, and/or perforating, and combinations of these processes. Any such finishing operation, however, requires additional parameters be embedded into and set in the corresponding job ticket. Thus, increased opportunities for errors, inefficiencies and time consumption arise as a result.
It is well known in this art, and in general, how to program and execute document handler, printer, copier or imaging device control functions with conventional or simple software instructions. Such software instructions may vary depending on the particular function and micoprocessor or microcomputer system being used, of course, but is still readily available to those skilled in the art. It is also known that conventional or specified document handling, printing, copying, or imaging functions and controls may be alternatively provided using various known or later developed logic and/or switching systems.